Sustainability and business opportunity grow together at Sea-Tac

In 2017, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) facilities supported 46.9 million passengers along with 425,800 metric tons of air cargo. That volume at the 9th busiest U.S. airport involved 416,124 arrivals and departures.[1]

Planning for sustainability

The Port of Seattle, the airport’s owner and operator, is preparing for an additional 9.1 million passengers within 10 years. Their Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)[2] recommends safety, support, and efficiency improvements that include a second terminal, 19 additional gates, and additional cargo facilities. In all, more than 30 near-term projects are planned to prepare for 2027 needs.

Also within 10 years, Sea-Tac, in partnership with 13 airlines, plans local, sustainable sourcing for 10 percent of jet fuel supplies.[3]

Planning and action are bringing recognition. Sea-Tac is the first airport in North America to have earned Level 2 Airport Carbon Accreditation.[4]

As I arrived for the Seattle conference last month, SEA Central Terminal modernization was already underway. Downtown, an estimated 1,000 delegates from business, aviation, and government organizations attended the 34th Annual Conference.[6]

The conference theme was Inspiring Possibilities. Sessions focused on public policy, promoting diversity, and other essentials of conducting business at airports. The planning, construction, and commitment to sustainability at Seattle-Tacoma International have been shaping possibilities into reality.

LEED AP, Sustainable Facility Professional, Envision Sustainability Professional - - Alexa has more than 25 years of experience in sustainable and Smart Cities development. Her strategic planning work has served local, state, and federal government, higher education, and private industry. Alexa founded ecoPreserve in 2009 as a team of 3 and has grown the company to over a dozen of the brightest sustainability and project management professionals in the industry.